Aristotle defined economics as the study of “household management.” Households have a complex set of dynamics governing the rights and responsibilities of each member without the need for money or traditional economic contracts or institutions. What if modern technologies give us — for the first time in human history — the possibility of creating extended — or even global — networks built on these holistic dynamics, thus making possible a quantum leap forward in terms of human economy? These four thinkers will each bring their diverse perspectives on the subjects of alternative exchange paradigms and digital token systems to bear on this important and timely subject.

Christian Gelleri is a PhD candidate in economics at the University of Siegen in Germany and a leading innovator in the complementary currency space. He is the creator of the Chiemgauer, a regional currency in Bavaria, Germany which is intended to increase local employment, support local culture and make the local food supply more resilient. The currency incorporates Silvio Gesell’s proposal of demurrage, or carrying costs, to incentivize steady circulation of money. Christian is a former Waldorf School teacher, and he created the Chiemgauer in 2003 as a project with his students. Now, over 20 years later, it is one of the most successful and sustained complementary currency projects in the world, with an annual turnover of over 7 million Euros.